Working for local parks and recreation during the summer offers a unique and rewarding experience. Employees get the chance to contribute to the well-being of their community by organizing and participating in various outdoor activities and events. Summer positions in the field can offer significant advantages, including skill development, monetary benefits and certifications. In September 2023, the NRPA Research team sought to capture the experiences park and recreation agencies had in hiring their summer seasonal staff by conducting a survey completed by agency directors. The Summer Seasonal Hiring Report, released in February 2024, highlights the survey results and the actions taken to retain the staff, which will be the focus of this blog post.  

Since park and recreation agencies report that a significant challenge is keeping their staff throughout the whole season, a quarter of agencies offered incentives to encourage employees to complete the full length of service. A pre-determined flat bonus is the most popular incentive given to summer seasonal workers, with 46 percent of the agencies that offer incentives engaging in this practice. Another method is ensuring skill development and training are available for their employees. Sixty-six percent of summer seasonal staff are lifeguards, a position that attracts many high school and college students. To retain these individuals, 64 percent of park and recreation agencies offer training and certification for their lifeguards to obtain. Other benefits offered to encourage staff to complete the entire length of the service are end-of-season parties, referral incentives, a bonus based on the total number of hours worked and a guaranteed position next year.  

Park and recreation agencies employ many strategies to spread the word about employment opportunities for their summer staff positions. Almost all agencies use social media channels and their own website to promote job openings. Since the summer staff across the country is typically under 24 years old, not surprisingly, 59 percent of agencies attend career days at local schools and nonprofits to advertise employment opportunities.  

Partnering with local groups is a common strategy to recruit summer staff — six in seven park and recreation agencies partner with other entities to recruit summer seasonal workers. Seventy-three percent of agencies partner with nearby school systems through 12th grade to maximize their advertising efforts. Meanwhile, 64 percent of park and recreation agencies partner with local colleges/universities. This is a valuable collaboration as 92 percent of agencies serving a population of 100,000 to 250,000 and 80 percent of agencies serving more than 250,000 residents rely on partnerships with colleges and universities for summer recruitment. Other partnering efforts include community groups, different local government departments, nonprofit organizations, faith-based organizations and for-profit organizations.  

In 2023, park and recreation agencies effectively recruited their summer seasonal employees by implementing tactics, such as increasing hourly wages, offering flexible scheduling, incentivizing with sign-on bonuses, providing paid training, hiring a mix of ages and boosting job fair presence. These practices will continue into the 2024 season and ensure a satisfied workforce.  

The Summer Seasonal Hiring Report outlines the innovative strategies park and recreation agencies use in recruiting and retaining their summer seasonal staff. With great benefits and incentives, there is much to gain for professional and personal growth in these roles. The partnership of six out of seven park and recreation agencies working with local entities, schools and universities in recruiting summer seasonal workers fosters a sense of connection and engagement within the community.